Nathan Burke has revealed that Ellie Blackburn's match-winning goal against Carlton almost didn't happen, with the 27-year-old in doubt to play pre-game.
Blackburn's goal in the dying minutes of the Princes Park clash secured a three-point win for the Dogs, while also securing the club a spot in finals for the first time since 2018.
Speaking post-game though, Burke revealed that Blackburn had been dealing with an ailment that nearly left her on the sidelines in the Round 10 clash.
"I'm not going to go into it but you guys don't know the issues that she's had on a physical level over the last couple of weeks that she's been dealing with," Burke said.
"The particular condition isn't helped by flying, and we flew to Perth and back last week.
"I honestly didn't think she was going to play today, so from not being able to play today and not training throughout the whole week, and then to come out and do that, that's special."
Blackburn ended the night with 23 disposals, nine clearances and two goals in a best-on-ground performance, willing her team to their seventh win of the season.
"You can't love a person or a footballer more than that," Burke said of Blackburn following the match.
"She's a leader in every sense of the word... She just wasn't going to be beaten today, and what she did was amazing.
"If you knew the backstory, ever since last night, I've been scheming in my head going 'how I can just nurse her through the game?'.
"So the idea was we play her forward for most of the game for really short stints on the ground and see what happens, and hopefully the scoreboard was in a way that would allow me do that but I just couldn't do it, I needed her in the middle and she delivered like she always does."
The final round of the AFLW home and away season continues on Saturday.
